ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Hawley retainers (HRs) and vacuum-formed retainers (VFRs) are the 2 most commonly used retainers in orthodontics. However, the basis for selection of an appropriate retainer is still a matter of debate among orthodontists. In this systematic review, we evaluated the differences between VFRs and HRs. METHODS: Electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science, LILACS, and Pro-Quest) were searched with no language restriction. The relevant orthodontic journals and reference lists were checked for all eligible studies. Two article reviewers independently screened the retrieved studies, extracted the data, and evaluated the quality of the primary studies. RESULTS: A total of 89 articles were retrieved in the initial search. However, only 7 articles met the inclusion criteria. Some evidence suggested that no difference exists to distinguish between the HRs and VFRs with respect to changes in intercanine and intermolar widths after orthodontic retention. In terms of occlusal contacts, cost effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and survival time, there was insufficient evidence to support the use of VFRs over HRs. CONCLUSIONS: Additional high-quality, randomized, controlled trials concerning these retainers are necessary to determine which retainer is better for orthodontic procedures.
Subject(s)
Orthodontic Appliance Design , Orthodontic Retainers , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Dental Arch/anatomy & histology , Humans , Patient Satisfaction , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
Scanning tunneling microscope was used to investigate the in vitro assembly of R-phycoerythrin (R-PE) from the marine red alga Polysiphonia urceolata. The results showed that R-PE molecules assembled together by disc-to-disc while absorbing on HOPG surface, which just looked like the rods in the phycobilisomes. When the water-soluble R-PE was dissolved in 2% ethanol/water spreading solution, they could form monolayer film at the air/water interface. Similar disc-to-disc array of R-PE was constituted in the two-dimensional Langmuir-Blodgett film by the external force. It could be concluded that, apart from the key role of the linker polypeptides, the in vivo assembly of phycobiliproteins into phycobilisomes is also dependent on the endogenous properties of phycobiliprotein themselves.
